John Wesley’s ability to knit together groups of people through faith and call them into action remains a constant in our DNA as Methodists today. Today’s virtual church, forced upon us by the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed us back in time to claim the future. We are moving out of our pews and into the world, bringing our faith, our invitation to discipleship to the masses in a 21st century “virtual” way.
Read MorePastor Toni Lucas was in her third year serving Albany in the DeKalb District and her fourth year as a pastor when the pandemic hit and Illinois’ stay-at-home order began. “I was sitting there thinking ‘what can I do’?” she remembered. “How can I stay in touch with my people when we can’t be in the sanctuary and they can’t come to church and some of them don’t have technology and some of them don’t want technology?”
Read MoreOn Sept. 11 God’s miracle happened. The first school inspection was successfully completed because God made a way in an impossible situation. When we failed to reach 75% of construction by August 2020 according to the Ministry of Education, a light of HOPE to open the school in Jan. 2021 was almost gone.
Read More“I don’t know how much more I can take!” I’ve heard people say—people I know, people interviewed in the news around our country. It’s just a pile on of uncertainty, suffering, destruction, and death. It’s been a tough year!
Read MoreMrs. Marianna Bailey, a surviving spouse of Rev. WM Raymond Bailey of the Northern Illinois Conference, passed away on Sunday, August 9, 2020, at the age of 87. During his ministry in Northern Illinois Conference, Rev. Bailey served Fox River Grove; Ecumenical Institute, United Methodist Reporter Communications, Lanark, and Crete.
Read MoreMrs. Minerva M. Batt, surviving spouse of Rev. Samuel Batt of the Northern Illinois Conference, passed away on Sunday, September 6, 2020, at the age of 101. During Rev. Batt's ministry in the Northern Illinois Conference, he served Wood Dale, Dixon: Grace, Villa Park: Calvary, Barrington: Salem, and Chicago: East Side.
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